Now and Then
by The Devil's Angel 1313
Summary: Is Nikolas really as bad as he seems? This fic tells the story of one of his blood bonds he saved. Reviews would be appreciated but I don't expect them.


Now:  
I sit on Nikolas's couch as Devil's Hour approaches. A hunter slips through the crowd with watchful eyes, but she's not my concern. One of the vampires will dispose of her.  
Kaleo slides over next to me on the couch and I eye him warily. "What do you need?"  
"And good evening to you as well," Kaleo mocks. His charisma has no effect on me. I flip him off.  
"I'll have Nikolas cut your tongue out if you speak to me again," I promise. "Go away."  
Kaleo flinches, stunned, but backs off nevertheless with hands raised in defeat. I feel like it's probably a good time to remove the black sweater covering the scars on my arms. Nikolas's marks are the only reason bastards like Kaleo don't kill me at bashes. Although, by now most people know me, I'm a regular blood bond at these bashes and, even though I look eighteen, I'm really nearing one hundred and twenty.

1916:  
"He is the perfect man for you," Father was saying. "And you will be the perfect wife or you will not inherit a cent! Not a cent!"  
"Father, I do not wish - " I pleaded.  
"You "do not wish"? I do not care what you wish! You are sixteen and it is time you wed a respectable gentleman!" Father was shouting now.  
"No!" I yelled. "No! I refuse! He is a liar and a cheater and I will not marry him!" I yanked the diamond ring off my finger and heaved it at the floor. It bounced under a table.  
"Get out! Get out you wretched girl! Out!" He screamed. "You are not my daughter! Get out of my house!" He grabbed my arm, threw open the door with all his might and pushed me out into the midnight rain. I landed half in a puddle and half on rough stone. My arm was cut open. The door slammed behind me.  
I stood from the puddle and my skirts dripped. "Curse you!" I do not think it was possible for me to yell any louder. The rain came down harder.  
I limped to the nearest tavern and stumbled in. A mysterious gentleman sat in the corner, little did I know he would be my entire future.

Now:  
I watch Nikolas emerge from the kitchen and walk over to him. He smiles a beautiful smile and wraps one arm around my waist. He traces the rose scar on my shoulder with the other hand. Hand-carved by him. Not that I remembered when it happened.  
"Evening, Rosebelle," he whispers in my ear.  
"Evening Nikolas," I whisper back and go up on tiptoes to kiss him. The black and white clock struck and it is Devil's Hour, officially.  
I arch my neck and see Nikolas's fangs reveal themselves. They puncture the well-scarred flesh and I shiver in delight, moan a little, and lean into him. A vampire bite is pure bliss, a gift the Nikolas gives to me with eternal life in exchange for my blood.  
We stay like that for a few minutes and then he pulls back. I swoon a little from blood loss so he picks me up and gently lays me on my bad upstairs. He kisses my cheek and is gone, but I don't have time to be sad because I'm asleep almost immediately.

1918  
I had been forced into a life of prostitution. I lived in the back of the tavern I had stumbled into the night my father kicked me out. I served the patrons during the day and was on a street corner at night. Sometimes if I went out to work early my father would see me and shake his head and walk away. I was miserable, needless to say, I didn't even believe in God anymore and I used to go to Church every Sunday, bright and early. My only friend was Nikolas, a man that came into the tavern every night, the mysterious man in the back of the bar from my first night at the tavern.  
I am done with this, I thought to myself. A patron had just dumped a pitch of beer over "the little whore's head". I searched the place for rope and went back into my bedroom. I tossed it over a rafter and tied a loop. I stood on the edge of my bed, poised to jump.  
The door clicked open. Nikolas. "They're threatening to riot if - Rosebelle! What are you doing?"  
Tears were rolling down my cheeks. "I can't do it anymore! I can't!"  
He moved unnaturally fast and suddenly the noose was on the ground. "What if I have a better option for you?"  
I regarded him in skeptism.  
"I'm a vampire."  
I gasped in shock and jumped farther back in the bed, clutching at the cross around my neck. Maybe I hadn't lost all faith in God.  
"Calm yourself. And, the option is -"  
"I don't want to be an evil bloodthirsty thing!"  
He sighed, rolled his eyes, and pinched his nose. "Let me finish! That isn't what I was going to say. If you let me drink your blood" -my eyes widened in disgust- "and you drink my blood, you will be immortal. Until I die, at least, and I don't plan on doing that any time soon. You can travel with me and my brother and sister. You would like my sister, you're both too nice for your own good."  
I was still trying to process. "You would...have to...bite me?!"  
"Rosebelle," He said, taking my hands. I flinched. "It doesn't hurt, I promise."  
"Well, I was going to kill myself anyway." He kicked the door shut and I swept my long, curly blonde hair over my shoulder. I sat down on the bed and he sat next to me. Two of his teeth are longer than normal, how had I not noticed? Suddenly there was two white hot flashes of pain and then, bliss.


End file.
